The American Cancer Society has updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to include considerations for blood-based and at-home screening.
The updated guidelines were published May 27 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Here are five notes from the update:
- While colonoscopy remains the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening, the updated guidelines “emphasize that the most effective screening test is the one that the patient completes,” according to a May 27 news release from the American Cancer Society.
- For multitarget stool testing — such as Cologuard and Colosense — the new guidelines recommend screening every three years.
- The guidelines only recommend blood-based tests for individuals who decline or do not complete preferred screening methods due to lower test sensitivity.
- Positive stool- or blood-based screening test results should continue to be followed up with a colonoscopy within six months.
- “Expanding screening options only matters if people can actually access them,” Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said in the release. “Coverage and affordability remain among the biggest factors in whether eligible individuals get screened for colorectal cancer. ACS CAN will continue pressing for policies that eliminate out-of-pocket costs and other barriers so everyone has a fair opportunity to get the evidence-based screening they need.”
Read the full updated guidelines here.
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